Since I’ve been here at Pitt, I have strived to stay involved in multiple organizations from my first semester as a freshman. The activities I’ve done outside of class have worked to support the Latinx community at Pitt and the greater Pitt community.
Mark Novales
University of Pittsburgh Global Studies Student Ambassador
Community Engagement
The Latinx Student Association (LSA) is a student organization formed to support and empower the Latinx student population at the University of Pittsburgh. It’s core mission is to celebrate the diversity of the Latinx community, educate others on the aspects of our identity, motivate Latinx students to achieve holistic success and advocate for the Latinx community at Pitt and the greater Pittsburgh region.
I am the founder and first President of this organization which was founded during my Sophomore year. I formed a team of gifted and motivated Latinx student leaders to form Pitt’s first University-wide student organization for Latinx students. Since its formation, LSA has provided a community of support for Latinx students and advocated for their voices through numerous community initiatives.
The creation and success of LSA is my proudest achievement of my time at Pitt. Nothing has been more rewarding than creating something that is so much bigger than myself and will have a lasting legacy to empower future Latinx students. This group has provided me with a new understanding of the diversity within Latin American and the world as a whole.
For more information, check out the organization’s website at https://pittlsa.wordpress.com.
The Roberto Clemente Minority Business Association is a student organization centered on empowering student of color within Pitt Business to achieve professional success. The organization is an extremely diverse group with people from many different backgrounds represented within the Executive Board and its pool of members.
I have been involved with the organization since my freshman year and have stayed involved the supported the group’s initiatives throughout my college career. I was first involved with the group’s freshman mentorship initiative or officially known as the Freshman Leadership Committee (FLP). FLP provided a supportive network of other motivated students that understood what it was like to be a person of color at Pitt.
I served as a peer mentor for incoming students of color and served as the organization’s Freshman Leadership Program coordinator which involved mentoring first year students through helpful workshops and educational programming. This organization helped connect me to global companies and support the greater Pitt Community.
The Blue & Gold Society is the governing body for the Student Alumni Association that serves as the bridge between current students and alumni. The organization is made up of 32 student leaders from around campus the work to engage the University of Pittsburgh extensive alumni network through outreach and programming.
I was involved in the group during my Sophomore and Junior years. The group allowed me to network with leaders of different academic studies and interact with different departments and student groups throughout Pitt. I was able to lead and organize multiple events including the Cathedral Ball and Alumni Dinner with 12.
I received the distinction of the most Outstanding New Member during my first year and have had the pleasure or representing Pitt at numerous alumni dinners and benefits. My time with the Blue & Gold Society helped me see Pitt as a global institution that has made an impact through countless international efforts in research and advocacy.
The Association for Diversity & Inclusion is a Pitt Business student organization centered on connecting business students to Diversity & Inclusion professionals and conduct discussions on the diversity issues prevalent in the corporate world.
I was nominated by the business school to partner with fellow student leaders to found this student organization to provide an avenue for students that were interested and wanted to get involved in Diversity & Inclusion efforts. The team met bi-weekly to organize future events, reach out to interested students and create the foundation for the organization.
This opportunity allowed me to still be involved with fellow business students while creating a group that would still highlight global issues and allow for difficult conversations in the environment of Pitt Business.
The Service Leadership Committee of the Office of PittServes is a student organization to teach students how to effectively organize and execute service projects for students. The group was formed to engage underclassmen with PittServes and have the skillset to effectively serve the community and lead other students.
I was involved with the organization during my first year at Pitt. I had the opportunity to lead 4 service projects with roughly 20 students that supported schools in the Troy Hill neighborhood in Pittsburgh and the refugee community in Pittsburgh.
My time with this organization allowed me to connect with students and learn about the great Pittsburgh area and the issues that affect the community. This time allowed me to engage with global systemic issues and the communities affected by them.
